Pokemon: An Untold Truth
by UnstoppableGamer
Summary: Airi Tailor is a young girl from the Spes Region. At the age of ten, Airi decided to go on a Pokemon journey to defeat the Spes Champion, Aika Amity, to gain fame and glory. However, a dark plot from the shadows would stand in her and her allies' way to achieve this goal. Join Airi and her allies in their quest to stop this unknown evil. (Prequel to Pokemon: A New World)
1. Chapter 1

" **Quod Periit, Periit..."**

Dialga watched the young man that climbed the glass like staircase. His face held a grim determination, reminiscent of the Dark One from long ago. However, the man's determination was not directed towards it, but rather towards himself. It was this that convinced it to appear before the man. Dialga loomed above the man, inspecting his features. He had black hair and green eyes. He covered himself in a long coat, keeping his right hand in his pocket. Dialga recognized the man, for he was the one who had saved Spes many years ago.

 _"Welcome, Bright One."_ Dialga greeted in an affable tone. It swayed its tail in anticipation as it continued speaking. _"What brings you here?"_

"Clarity." The man answered. He held himself up firmly, looking directly into the eyes of the Legendary Pokemon.

 _"Clarity?"_ Dialga questioned in intrigue, tilting its head sideways. _"You wish to see something from another time?"_

"Yes." The man nodded. He leaned back slightly, keeping his hand in his coat's pocket. "Tell me..."

The man hesitated as if considering his words. He shook his head back and forth in recollection. Dialga leaned forward to listen to the man. He looked down for a moment, before finally speaking once more.

"Show me the story of my parents and Spes."

* * *

 **Chapter One- A Fairy Takes Flight**

Airi rose from her bed at the sound of knocking on her door. Her room was a grandiose pink and blue, reflecting her own beauty.

"Airi! Wake up!" Oberon, her annoying older brother, commanded.

"Fine! Fine!" Airi wailed, throwing a pillow at the door. "Give me a moment!"

She yawned as she stepped off of her bed and went to her bathroom. She looked at a poster of the twenty-one year old Aika Amity, daughter of King Amity and Champion of the Spes League. She had long, flowing pink hair and piercing golden eyes. Airi looked into the mirror, looking at her, albeit nappy, own beautiful pink hair. Unlike Aika however, Airi's eyes were a boring steel. She puffed out her cheeks and began to brush her hair, before pulling it back into two girlish pigtails. She fixed her bangs as well, brushing them to the right, covering her eyebrow slightly.

"Cute!" Airi giggled, nodding to herself. She ran into her wardrobe, changing out of her nightgown. She changed into a blue blouse and a black skirt, creating a strong contrast to her hair. She admired herself, before leaving her room. She marched down the staircase that led to her room, passing through the living room. Their home had an organized feeling, with wood tile flooring and a stone wall arch leading to the kitchen. Airi continued through their home, entering the dining room. Her brother Oberon and their mother and father waited for her appearance.

"Took your sweet time." Oberon scoffed. He was an annoying boy who sadly inherited pink hair alongside Airi. However, his eyes were blue rather than steel. He dressed in an abrasive orange and black collar shirt and blue jeans. "If you cared about your personality just as much as your appearance, you'd-"

"Oberon!" Their father interrupted. He was a middle aged man with dark brown hair and steel eyes. He was a sharply dressed man who always had a gentle grin on his face. "You do realize who's family you were born into right?"

"Oh my-" Oberon shouted, slamming his fist on the table. His voice lowered into a growl as he pointed at their father. "Listen you old-"

"Enough fighting." Their mother interrupted with a soothing voice, placing food on the table. She was an above average sized woman with long pink hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her eyes were a piercing blue. She always had a somber look in her eyes. "Airi's just being her usual self, Oberon. No need to be mean, okay Obie-Poo?"

"I wasn't…" Oberon sighed, averting his gaze. "Sorry…"

"Pfft." Airi snorted, sitting across from her brother. "Yeah, 'Obie-Poo.'"

"Shut it." Oberon snapped, annoyed. Airi sat back in her chair, a haughty grin on her face. Oberon quickly finished his breakfast and stood up. "I'm going outside. Heard that a professor or something is visiting."

"Professor?" Airi inquired, glancing to her brother. "What professor?"

"Professor Wilson, right?" Their mother asked their father.

"Yeah." Their father confirmed. He stood up and placed his hand on Oberon's shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I don't even have an interest in…" Oberon sighed. Their father patted him on the shoulder and made his way out of the house. After waiting a moment, Oberon left as well, leaving Airi alone with her mother.

Airi stood up after finishing her food, preparing to leave. As she stepped out of the kitchen, her mother spoke up.

"Airi." She began, holding her hands together. "Be careful. Don't do anything that you'll regret."

"Why are being so weird, mom?" Airi joked, walking away. "What could I possibly regret? I'm the cutest girl in all of Spes!" She declared, leaving through the front door.

"A lot of things…" Her mother sulked all alone.

 **…...**

The town of Glamour was relatively small with large open fields surrounding it. Many of the houses around were decorated in some manner, either with fabric or paintings. A group of scientists wandered around the fields as if searching for something. Oberon and Airi observed from a distance.

"Well, what're you going to do?" Oberon asked, tilting his head. His arms were crossed in an annoyed position.

"I'm going to talk to them!" Airi informed, posing elegantly. "I'll make Professor Wilson give me a powerful Pokemon to conquer the league!"

"Good luck with that…" Oberon groaned. Airi winked before making her way to the group of scientists.

"Move! We're burning sunshine!" A tall, well taken care of, woman with black hair and steel eyes commanded the group of scientists. She donned a white lab coat and sunglasses that gave away her identity as the famous Mari Justice Wilson. A young boy Airi's age sat at her side, watching Professor Wilson work.

"Hello!" Airi greeted nonchalantly as she approached. Professor Wilson and the boy beside her glanced in her direction.

"Who're you?" Professor Wilson inquired, clicking her tongue. "I'm busy right now, so if you could just-"

"I want a Pokemon!" Airi announced. Wilson raised her sunglasses, looking at Airi in mild confusion. The boy beside her gasped in surprise, staring at Airi in total confusion.

"How old are you?" She asked, leaning down to look at Airi's face. "Ten?"

"Yep." Airi nodded, putting her hands on her hips and standing proudly. "That's the age to go on an adventure in every other region!"

"It's sixteen in Spes." The boy behind Wilson noted. He had short black hair, steel eyes, and red glasses. He dressed in a white button up and khaki pants. Airi and Wilson shot the boy a look of annoyance, instantly causing to be quiet. "S-sorry…"

"...So." Airi coughed, resuming her conversation. "Can I have a Pokemon?"

"Are your parents okay with you challenging the League?" Wilson interrogated, leaning back.

"Yeah of course!" Airi giggled, giving a mischievous grin. "Don't worry about a thing!"

"...Hmm?" Wilson stood up, looking into Airi's eyes. She gazed into them stoically, causing a sweat drop to run down Airi's face. She maintained her smile, until Wilson reached into her bag. "Alright."

"Yes!" Airi celebrated, jumping up. "Who's gonna be the next Champion? That's right, it's me! Airi Tailor!"

"Really…?" The boy questioned, even more confused. "She's obviously-"

"Gabriel, be quiet." Wilson ordered, retrieving a silver case from her bag.

"Yes, ma'am." The boy mumbled, shrinking away.

"What kind of Pokemon do you want?" Wilson asked, opening the case, revealing six Pokeballs. "They're all my personal experiments."

"E-experiments?" Airi stuttered, backing away. "W-what do you mean?"

"They're not lab rats." Wilson sighed, closing the case and holding it level to her head. "They're just Pokemon who displayed peculiar traits. Increased electrical output, intelligence, et cetera."

"Oh." Airi calmed down, looking at the case. Wilson lowered the case, opening it again. "Something cute like me! Something that will grow as beautiful as I will!"

"Perfect, I guess." Wilson commented as she removed a Pokeball from the case. She tossed it onto the ground, releasing a Ralts. It glanced around timidly, before hiding behind Wilson's leg. She raised her leg, gently kicking it over to Airi. "Found this little one warping reality with the power of psychic energy and hearts."

"That's… one way to put it." The boy muttered.

Airi ignored his comment and reached out to the Pokemon. It stared at her hand, before carefully placing its hand in hers. Airi slowly closed her palm, giving the Ralts a grin. It stiffened up, quickly pulling away its hand. "H-huh?"

"She's very shy." Wilson informed, returning the Ralts to its Pokeball. She held it out for Airi to take, giving her a wary glare at the same time. "Don't abuse it."

"I-I won't!" Airi nodded in understanding, taking the Pokeball in a hurry. She held the ball forward and placed her free hand on her chest. "Thank you so very much. I, Airi Tailor, the cutest girl in Spes, am eternally indebted to you!"

"Good." Wilson grinned in amusement, returning the case to her bag. She stretched her arms, whilst cracking her fingers and neck. "Do I have any way to contact you, Tailor?"

"I have a phone." Airi informed, taking her phone from her pocket. It was pink and was encrusted with numerous tiny blue diamonds. Wilson swiped it from her and began to enter something into it. Wilson's eyes narrowed as if she noticed something. "I… never really had a use for it, in all honesty…"

Wilson remained quiet as she finished entering something into it, before returning the phone to Airi. "That's my work number. I'll contact you if I require something and I expect you to do the same if you encounter any developments."

"Yeah…" Airi agreed in a somber tone, looking at her phone. She paused as she stared at the blank contact picture, before shaking her head and putting her phone away. "So, I'll be seeing you later?"

"If you're as talented as you say, then yes." Wilson stated, giving Airi a side glare as she turned to leave. "If you aren't, then I'll retrieve my Ralts." She warned, returning to the group of scientists. "Come on, Gabriel."

"Yes, ma'am." The boy obeyed, following close behind. Airi remained in the same spot, grasping the Pokeball in her hand tightly, until Oberon appeared from behind her.

"Well, that was something." He commented nonchalantly, causing Airi to jump.

"Don't sneak up on me!" Airi hissed, punching her brother in the chest.

"Don't hit me." He commanded, flicking her nose. He paused as he glanced at the ball in her hand. "So, you got a Ralts?"

"Uh, yeah…" Airi confirmed, sending out her Pokemon. It glanced around timidly, panicking as Oberon knelt down. He calmly stretched out his hand to pat it, causing it to smile.

"Cute." He chuckled. Ralts rubbed its head against his hand until he pulled it away and stood back up. "You better take care of it."

"I will!" Airi growled, returning her Pokemon to its ball. "I'm not a child!"

"That's a childish argument." Oberon dismissed, walking back to their home. "Come on. You have to introduce it to Mom and Dad."

"Right." Airi agreed, marching proudly behind her brother as they returned home.

 **…...**

Wilson yawned as the day dragged on. _They didn't find anything. Nada. Zip. Zilch._ She groaned as she signaled for the group to pack up. She leaned against a tree with Gabriel, staring into the dense forest. She snapped her fingers to get Gabriel's attention, speaking to him. "We traced a powerful energy source here."

"We theorized it to be a Pokemon, right?" Gabriel questioned.

"When we get here, there's nothing." Wilson bemoaned, lifting her sunglasses as she rubbed her eyes. "Any theories, Little Prince?"

"If it's a Pokemon then it might have hid from us." Gabriel answered, placing his hand on his chin and lip. "Or it might have been captured."

"Maybe." Wilson nodded, taking the same pose as Gabriel. After a minute, coming up with nothing else, Wilson stood up to leave. "Stand. We're leaving."

"Right." Gabriel obeyed, standing up. He hesitantly spoke up. "...Why did you give that girl one of your tests?"

"She seemed like the perfect grey area." Wilson sneered, giving a mischievous chuckle. "She'll either raise it with love and care, or she'll cause it to go on a rampage. Either way, I'll find out what it can do when motivated."

"...Geez." Gabriel sighed, putting his hand on his head in disappointment. "Your jokes aren't funny, Mom."

"Bzz!" Wilson grunted, swinging her hand once to tell him to stop. "Don't call me Mom, Mother, or anything similar on duty, understood?"

"Sorry." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Where to next?"

"We'll return to the lab for now." Wilson informed, beginning to walk away. She paused in the middle of the meadow, looking into the sky. She felt something tug at her cheek as she gazed into the stars that began to appear. "I expect the same from you, Gabe."

"Huh?" Gabriel gasped, looking at the stars. "I… don't…?"

"It's nothing. Never mind" Wilson dismissed, continuing her march. "Come along."

 **…...**

Airi called for her family to meet in the living room before her bedtime. Her mother and father sat on the main couch while Oberon sat on a recliner. Airi reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokeball. "I want to go on a-!"

"No." Her father denied in a firm tone without hesitation. "You're not sixteen."

"In every other region-" Airi attempted to argue, only to be interrupted once more.

"Does every other region have a king?" Her father continued. "Things are different in Spes."

"Then things should be changed." Airi growled.

"Airi, listen to your father." Her mother begged, a frown on her face. "You're too young and you'll make a lot of mistakes."

"Again with mistakes!" Airi snarled, clenching her teeth. "How could I make any mistakes!? It's just a Pokemon journey! Everyone does it!"

"Not everyone." Oberon scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "I wasn't expecting you to even get a Pokemon from Professor Wilson."

"Jerk." Airi insulted, blowing a raspberry at him. She turned back to her parents. "Professor Wilson has faith in me! Why won't you!?"

"A lot of reasons, actually…" Her mother sighed beneath her breath. "Just go to your room. It's your bedtime."

"I…" Airi grimaced, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Fine. Fine." She frowned, running back to her room.

"A free toy model says she sneaks out the window." Oberon bet, a humored grin on his face. His parents looked at each other for a moment, before sighing simultaneously.

"I'll get my purse..." His mother grimaced, leaving the living room.

"And I'll call Professor Wilson." His father added, pulling out his phone.

"She'll be back in a week." Oberon reassured, remaining at his seat. "First gym and she's out."

"If it was so simple…" His father lamented.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two- Strawberry and Banana**

Airi marched along the beaten path, gazing into the stars overhead. The path was lined with countless trees and bushes. She glanced back, noticing that she made a considerable distance from Glamour, prompting her to grin. She continued down the road, holding herself up proudly.

 _SNAP!_

Airi twisted to face a bush to the right of her, reaching in her bag for Ralts' Pokeball. She watched the bush carefully. A moment passed, then two, before finally a Cottonee revealed itself. It was covered in leaves and small broken sticks. Airi sneered viciously, holding Ralts' Pokeball out. "Congratulations Cottonee! You're my first opponent! You should feel honored to face me! In fact, I feel so generous as to…"

"Nee." The Cottonee cried as it began to float away. Airi broke her stance in shock.

"H-hey!" She snapped, chasing after the Pokemon. "Get back here! You're my opponent! I was going to catch you!" She wailed, sprinting at full speed. She chased it as it flew further and further, carried by the gentle breeze. "Come on stop! Please!" She cried, finally stopping as the Cottonee was far beyond her reach. She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, kicking up dirt with her foot. "Stupid Cottonee…" She mumbled, her eyes slightly red. "It's okay. I don't need a cowardly Pokemon who would run away anyway." She asserted, standing proudly. She began to march back onto the path, making her way to the next town.

 **…...**

Mailys wandered through the town of Flora, her hometown. She had long blonde hair and vibrant pink eyes. She dressed in a simple white sundress with a small flower design near the bottom. She began to slow her walk, before finally stopping in the middle of a bridge. It had been a long time since her last visit. She spotted many changes right away, notably the greenery. A large hedge surround the circular town, with many streams passing through, gathering in the center of town. A large tree sat at the northern edge of town, surrounded by a small pond. The houses were made of stone, old in design, bringing her back to the age of knights and lords. The beautiful flowers that adorned the town gave it life.

"So, you've returned?" An elderly voice inquired from the left of Mailys. She looked to the voice's direction, spotting an elderly woman in drab, grey robes with a green trim approaching her. "How have you been?"

"Kiyo-Chan." Mailys frowned, greeting the elderly woman, Kiyoko. "I'm not sure I'm old enough to travel Spes..."

"You're eleven, are you not?" Kiyoko sighed, moving to stand beside her. They looked out to the gentle stream below them. "I was only five when I began my journey with my sisters. You can do it."

"...I need a companion at least..." Mailys sulked.

"Go find someone your age." Kiyoko chuckled. "Hohoho! You'll see then! A brave Pokemon Trainer to travel with!"

"No one's traveling at my age." Mailys noted with a long sigh. "And I know traveling with an adult won't count."

"Hmm?" Kiyoko paused, closing her eyes. She held up her hand to get Mailys attention, before counting down. "Three. Two. One."

"Hey! Old lady!" A pink haired girl wailed at the top of her lungs. Kiyoko chuckled in amusement, turning to face the girl.

"Yes?" She inquired in an affable tone.

"Which way is the gym?" The girl demanded, visibly annoyed. "I'm in a bad mood so hurry up!"

"Ohoho?" Kiyoko chuckled. She had a long grin along her elderly face. "Aren't you a feisty one? Where are your parents?"

"If you must know, I am on a Pokemon journey!" The girl explained, taking a haughty pose. She let out a prideful laugh. "And you get the pleasure and honor of witnessing me before I reach the top!"

"I'm sure you will." Kiyoko supported in a semi-sarcastic tone. Her eyes narrowed for a brief second. "You need a slave- er, servant- to do your bidding, right?"

"Huh?" Mailys jumped, wincing as Kiyoko pinched her side.

"Her?" The pink haired girl sized up Mailys, pulling on her hair causing Mailys to wince. "She's too pretty. She'll steal my spotlight!"

"I don't know if I should be happy…" Mailys sighed, rubbing her head. The pink haired girl quickly swiped her bag and rummaged through it. "Hey!"

"No Pokeballs?" The pink haired girl stopped, allowing Mailys to take her bag back. "Explain."

"I just need Mailys here to travel all of Spes. Or rather all of Spes' cities." Kiyoko elaborated. "Mind letting her tag along? She's great at manual labor."

"Hey-" Mailys attempted to argue, only to get pinched again.

"Hmm." The girl contemplated. "Very well. You may join me. I need someone to witness my greatness!"

"Then that settles it!" Kiyoko affirmed, pushing Mailys towards the girl. "Have fun on your adventure with the strawberry, banana head!"

"What!?" Mailys gasped as Kiyoko wandered off. "Banana head?"

"My hair isn't red." The girl mumbled, holding her pigtails. "...I don't look like a strawberry do I, Banana?"

"Mailys." Mailys corrected. "My name is Mailys. Mailys LeBlanc."

"Neat." The girl dismissed, striking a pose with one hand on her chest and the other extended to the sky. "I am Airi Tailor, the cutest girl in all of Spes!"

"This is going to be… something." Mailys muttered beneath her breath.

"Anyway..." Airi continued to speak. "Where's the gym?"

"Follow me." Mailys groaned, leading Airi through the town.

 **…...**

Kiyoko sat in front of the pond that surrounded the Sacred Tree, feeding the Lotad that rested there. She closed her eyes, thinking of her sisters. _The time was drawing near… She could only hope that Mailys gathers the stones on time._ _Allowing someone to take them would be…_ "Onix-ceptable." Kiyoko joked, causing herself to chuckle.

 **…...**

Airi and Mailys arrived at a large greenhouse at the center of town. An aging man tended to the shrubbery that surrounded the vicinity. Airi casually waltzed over to the man, hands on her hips. "Hey, old man!"

"Oh?" The aging man twisted to face the girls. He had short graying hair and dull pinkish eyes similar to Mailys'. "Hello Mailys. I take it that your friend is a challenger?"

"Spot on." Airi sneered, taking her usual pose, hand on her chest. "I am-"

"Let me get the gym ready." The old man cut her off, proceeding into the greenhouse.

"Huh!?" Airi gasped, confused at the situation. Mailys let out a brief snort of laughter, following the old man. "B-b-but my…" She mumbled, pacing behind. "Stupid old man…"

Inside, the garden began to shift. What started as a beautiful maze of flowers and small trees rearranged itself to become a coliseum, surrounding the battlefield. The old man took his place on the opposite side of the field.

"I can tell you're a greenhorn and I am quite old." The man explained, tossing out a Roserade. "I'll take it easy on you and only use this one. Let's not take too long, okay?"

"Type advantage!" Airi announced, sending out her Ralts. Ralts glanced around, confused at her location. "Hey! Listen to my orders, got it?"

"R-Ralts…?" The Ralts cried, shivering.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Mailys inquired, slightly worried. Airi sneer grew even wider as she took her pose once again.

"I'm Airi Tailor!" She repeated, holding her hand out. "I always know what to do!"

"Ah shoot!" The old man grimaced, scratching his head. "I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Floris Dubois! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, Floris!" Airi greeted in a disrespectful tone. "As I said, I am-"

"Sludge Bomb!" Dubois swiftly commanded. Before Airi's Ralts could react, she was knocked back by a poisonous blast.

"Hey!" Airi snarled, stomping her foot on the ground. "That was cheating!"

"You fell for it!" Dubois chuckled. "Remember kiddo, there's more to a battle than strength and typing!"

"Is that so…?" Airi curled her lip, swing her hand outward. "Use Confusion!"

"Ra…" Ralts cried, sending a weak psychic blast at her opponent. Roserade spun around once, dispersing the energy.

"Is that all?" Dubois questioned, his disappointment obvious. "You sure talk big for a little greenhorn."

"Shut up!" Airi snapped, stomping her foot. "What are you doing! Attack! Attack!"

"So reckless…" Mailys mumbled to herself. Ralts forced herself to fire a volley of weak psychic blasts at Roserade. Once again, Roserade pirouetted to disperse the weak energy.

"Hoo boy." Dubois sighed, scratching his forehead. "I've seen plenty of shoddy trainers in my day, but you certainly trumped many of them within a few seconds."

"You!" Airi wailed, throwing a tantrum. "Ralts attack! Go all out! I don't care how! You better win!"

"R-Ralts…" Ralts cried, sending another wave of psychic blasts at Roserade.

"Sludge Bomb." Dubois calmly countered. Roserade broke through the energy with a volley of sludge, knocking Ralts back.

"Come on! Get up already!" Airi snapped. Ralts forced itself up, the grass around it starting to warp. She let out a powerful cry, sending a massive wave of psychic energy at Roserade. Roserade was unable to dodge, getting defeated instantly. Ralts stumbled around, before passing out. "Aha! Nothing a little brute force can't solve!"

"Ralts!?" Mailys panicked, checking on the little Pokemon. As she picked her up, Airi returned her to her Pokeball. "Huh!?"

"That's mine." Airi glared, putting her Pokeball away. "Don't touch."

"Are you…!?" Mailys growled, standing up.

"Well… darn." Dubois coughed, getting their attention. He returned his Roserade and began to approach them. He revealed a small badge. It resembled three flowers side by side. "Here's the Meadow Badge."

"Thank you!" Airi sneered, taking the badge. She quickly turned and skipped away merrily.

"Well, Mailys…" Dubois groaned, stretching his arms. "I wish you luck."

"I'm gonna need it…" Mailys grimaced, slowly following behind Airi. "Do I really have to travel with… _that_?"

 **…...**

After stocking up on supplies and healing her Ralts, Airi continued on her journey. She marched down the path to Arachnid. Mailys followed at least three feet behind her. The two continued until a snapping sound rang out.

"Hold up." Airi ordered, glancing around. She sneered as a Cottonee floated out of the bushes. Before it noticed the two, Airi tossed a blindingly fast Pokeball, nailing the Cottonee in the head. The Cottonee was sucked into the ball, a clicking sound notifying its capture. Airi snapped her fingers in victory. "Not this time!"

"That was…" Mailys gawked, taken aback. "Impressive…"

"I know right!" Airi jumped, retrieving the Pokeball. Her arrogant grin was replaced by a genuinely pleasant smile. "I've practiced my throw for years!"

"Well, if you can at least capture Pokemon, then you might be able to get farther than I thought." Mailys admitted, continuing on the path to Arachnid with Airi. Airi held herself up proudly the rest of the hike.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three- Dawn of Entomology**

Airi and Mailys carefully made their way through the woods that led to Arachnid. The forest was dark and eerie, with giant cobwebs lining the trees. The stares of over a dozen Pokemon pierced through the shadows.

"C-can we walk faster?" Mailys requested, walking a bit faster.

"What's the matter, scared?" Airi sneered, marching ahead. "A few bugs aren't-"

"Spinarak." A Spinarak announced, descending from above, causing Airi to jump.

"Gah!" She screamed, instinctively punching the Spinarak, spinning it around. She regained her composure, dusting off her sleeves. "Ahem... Let's get a move on."

"I think you angered the hive…" Mailys whimpered, jogging behind Airi. The stares multiplied to hundreds, sending shivers down her spine.

"Spiders don't have hives… I think?" Airi guessed, speeding up. "But we should hurry."

The two jogged their way through the dark woods, finally reaching a wooden gate. Mailys let out a sigh of relief, entering the town. There were numerous webs adorning the wooden homes. However, they appeared to be organized, adding to the appeal of the small town. The grass was a vibrant green in stark contrast to the eerie woods they had exited from.

"Welcome to Arachnid, travelers!" A middle aged man with brown hair greeted the duo from behind a fence. He dressed himself in a simple plaid shirt and jeans. "My name is Rudy."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Rudy." Mailys greeted the man. "I don't believe I saw you in my last visit."

"Oh, you were that girl talking with Kiyoko." Rudy nodded, recalling Mailys' last visit. "What brings you back here?"

"Well-"

"I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader!" Airi interrupted, boasting herself.

"That'd be my wife." Rudy informed, walking through a gate in the fence. "Lucky for you, she's currently at the gym. I'll take you to her."

"Perfect!" Airi celebrated, snapping her fingers. She quickly followed Rudy, who led her to the gym. Mailys quietly paced behind her energetic companion. Rudy showed them through the town, passing by a farm of Ariados. A Spinarak sat atop one of the Ariados, glaring at Airi intensely.

"What's this?" Mailys inquired, prompting Rudy to stop. Airi wandered off from them, staring down the Spinarak.

"This is where our Ariados stay." He explained. The farm was completely coated in webbing with a giant web sac in the far back. "We use their web to create fabric."

"Oh." Mailys nodded in understanding, stepping away from the farm. Rudy began to lead her to the gym again. Mailys grabbed Airi by the arm, dragging her away from the Spinarak. They soon arrived at a small gym made from wood.

"Here we are." Rudy informed, gesturing to the building. "I must warn you that my wife isn't-"

"Out of the way!" Airi commanded, pushing passed Rudy and Mailys. She stormed into the gym, pointing at a woman sitting in a chair inside. "I challenge you to a…" She paused, noticing the woman's bulbous stomach. "A…"

"...In the best condition." Rudy finished his sentence. "She's nine months pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Airi gasped, slowly approaching the woman.

"Hello there." The woman greeted, smiling affably. She had warm honey like hair and wore a simple brown dress. "I'm Katherine Sky. Would you like to battle?"

"...Battle?" Airi mumbled to herself, continuing to approach the woman. She hesitantly held out her hand to the woman's stomach. "M-may I?"

"Of course." Mrs. Sky allowed. Airi gently pressed her hand onto the woman's stomach. A small kick caused her to pull her hand away in fear. Mrs. Sky grabbed her hand and pressed it back onto her stomach, calming her down. Airi sat perfectly still for what felt like an eternity, before slowly pulling away her hand.

"Are you sure you're in a state to… battle?" Airi worried, backing away from the woman.

"I'm sitting down." Mrs. Sky answered, tapping a small case on a stool beside her. She opened the case to reveal three Pokeballs. "You're a beginner, right?"

"Yeah." Airi affirmed, reaching for Cottonee's Pokeball. "After you."

"I specialize in Bug Types." Mrs. Sky informed, sending out a Spinarak. "Let us begin."

"Hehehe." An elderly woman dressed in robes with a lime green trim spoke up from behind Mailys. "The newbie is going to lose."

"Ah!" Mailys jumped forward several feet, twisting to glare at Kiyoko. "Don't sneak up on me, Queen!"

"Don't tell royalty what to do, missy." Kiyoko ordered, tapping Mailys on the forehead with a cane.

"You're the ruler of a shack." Mailys argued, before shaking her head. "Hold on. That's not important. Why's the idiot going to lose?"

"You'll see." Kiyoko evaded, gesturing to the battlefield.

"Cottonee!" Airi announced, sending out her newest Pokemon. "Strike it with all you've got!"

"Poison Sting, Spinarak!" Mrs. Sky countered. Cottonee sent out a wave of pollen, paralyzing the Spinarak. It struggled, unable to attack. "Oh dear. Try again."

"Ha!" Airi celebrated, her tone shifting. "Great work, Cottonee! Now take it out!"

"Nee." Cottonee cried, absorbing the opponent of its energy.

"Keep it up!" Airi sneered arrogantly.

"Ariados." Mrs. Sky swapped Pokemon. An Ariados flew out of her Pokeball, biting Cottonee and defeating it instantly.

"What!?" Airi panicked, returning her Cottonee. "That's…" She growled, switching to Ralts. "Confusion!"

"Poison Sting." Mrs. Sky repeated. Ralts fired forward a ball of psychic energy. Ariados shrugged off the hit and belched out a wave of poisonous spikes, hitting Ralts directly. Ralts fell back, struggling to get up.

"Come on! Get up!" Airi snapped. Ariados used the opportunity to pounce on Ralts, defeating her. "No!"

"I apologize for your loss." Mrs. Sky sympathized.

"She'll live." Mailys groaned, walking up to the field. "Let's go, Airi."

"I… I demand a rematch!" Airi wailed, puffing out her cheeks.

"I'm afraid you don't have time now." Kiyoko informed, walking towards Mrs. Sky. "My time to shine in three, two, one."

"What are you-" Mailys gawked, jumping as Mrs. Sky groaned, holding her stomach. "Oh…"

"Wait… I don't…" Airi glanced around in confusion. "Is she?"

"Time to deliver a baby." Kiyoko laughed, as Rudy helped his wife stand up. "To my shack, which doubles as a hospital."

"It's more a clinic really…" Rudy commented, as they left the gym.

"Wait… What!?" Airi cried, holding her head. "B-b-but my… What!?"

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Pinky." Mailys teased, following Kiyoko. "This is a wonderful learning opportunity. Thank you."

"Gah!" Airi stomped her foot on the ground, giving chase.

 **…...**

"It's alive!" The head scientist cried out. Their creation rose up from it's bed, staring at the men and women in white. It's body was weak and withered, with thin, mutilated limbs. It's eyes were dull and lifeless. "I'm a genius!"

"I highly doubt that." Gallant dismissed in a cold tone. He was a tall man with green hair and red eyes. He dressed himself in a white collar shirt with a dark green vest, white pants and dress shoes. Over that, he cloaked himself in a large black and red coat. "It's another failure. Devoid of life, you arrogant fool."

"Well…" The scientist panicked, scratching his head. "It can still learn!"

"I'm afraid you've failed, professor." Gallant bit, causing the scientist to back away. "If this is your idea of a success, I doubt we'd ever see an actual 'failure.'" He insulted. The rest of the scientists stared at the head scientist coldly, singling him out. "The amount of money we wasted on you has exceeded the point of acceptability I'm afraid."

"You can't fire me!" The scientist argued. "I've put blood, sweat, and tears into this project!"

"I know." Gallant recognized, completely deadpan, sending a chill down the scientist's spine. "You simply won't have any more blood to put into this project."

"You can't do this!" The scientist screamed, trying to claw his way out the room's locked door. The rest of the scientists remained silent.

"You are hereby terminated, professor."

 **…...**

"Ew!" Airi complained outside Kiyoko's clinic an hour later. Mailys waltzed out with her head held up high. "Why was that so gross!?"

"What? Can't appreciated the beauty of birth either?" Mailys joked, standing across from Airi. "Weren't you amazed by Mrs. Sky's pregnancy?"

"It's nothing like the movies…" Airi continued. "It was all fuzzy and bloody and gross…"

"You forgot the mucus." Mailys teased. "And the-"

"I get it!" Airi snarled, standing up. "I'm never having a kid. That was traumatizing…"

"What, you don't want your own bundle of joy to raise?" Mailys persisted, following Airi as she left the clinic.

"I'll just adopt a daughter or make someone else give birth to her… I don't know." Airi shivered, making her way out of town.

"You don't want a son?" Mailys inquired, genuinely surprised. "I didn't think you'd like someone taking your place as 'the Cutest Girl in Spes...'"

"Like a son could properly inherit my cuteness! My looks must be passed on!" Airi laughed, brushing her hair. "Anyway! Let's go to the next town. I won't get a rematch for a while…"

"Oh wow!" Mailys clapped sarcastically. "You finally considered someone else's situation! Good for you!"

"Whatever…" Airi groaned, leaving the small rural town. "We're going to Amber next. After that, we'll probably turn around and make our way to Titan." She informed. _She would get stronger. Strong enough to defeat anyone. Just her and her Pokemon._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four- Prideful Flame**

Draco let out a loud yawn, wandering through the mountain town. He was a young blue haired boy dressed in a simple grey collar jacket and jeans. The surrounding area was covered in ash from the volcano adjacent to Amber. His Dratini slithered behind him, following his every movement. He stopped in front of a hot spring, looking at the few patrons inside.

"Where are you going, boy?" A familiar strict voice called out from behind him. Draco turned around to face his father, Fafnir Fang "Don't go wandering off."

"Yeah, yeah." Draco sighed, holding his hands behind his head. His father donned his usual dragon scale cape reminiscent of old vampire tales. "Why are we here again?"

"I've decided to throw you into Mt. Rebirth." His father informed, stone faced. "I'm tired of feeding you."

"Please don't joke like that." Draco groaned. "You're too straight faced…"

"Fine." His father sighed, almost disappointed sounding. "We're looking for a Charizard that got loose."

"How and why?" Draco inquired, confused.

"A trainer probably decided that this would be the best place to release it." His father explained, scratching his head. "So, it technically didn't get loose per say... Be careful where you release your Pokemon, son."

"I know. I know." Draco rolled his eyes, following his father through the town.

 **…...**

"It's hot…" Airi groaned as she and Mailys trekked up the mountain. The path leading them to Amber had slowly replaced the lush greenery with soot and ash. However, despite being covering in ash, a few trees created a small woodland around the road. "I hate it here…"

"Then why did you want to come here…?" Mailys remarked, annoyed.

"Because I didn't want to suffer through it later!" Airi whined, slumping her shoulders. "At least it's not raining…" She chuckled gently, shaking her head. "Actually, that'd be really nice."

"Don't jinx it." Mailys dissuaded. "I really don't want to get drenched."

"Bah." Airi scoffed, standing proud. "This heat is nothing to me! I'm invincible!"

"Keep telling yourself that!" Mailys laughed, amused by her arrogance. Before she could say anything else, a loud, booming roar tore through the sky. The two of them glanced around, jumping back as a massive, black and blue Charizard descended upon them. "What!?"

"Ralts!" Airi immediately called out, sending out her partner. "Confusion!"

"Ra-" Ralts cried, flying back as the Charizard slammed into her without hesitation. She was flung into Airi, knocking her to the ground.

"Run!" Mailys ordered, helping Airi up. She quickly broke into a sprint, proceeding up the mountain. Airi trudged behind slowly. "Hurry up!"

"Dizzy…" Airi mumbled, holding her head. Her legs gave out, causing her to fall on her face. "Can't go…"

"Airi I'm not letting you get eaten by a Charizard!" Mailys snapped, trying to help her up. "I'm too nice a person to let that-"

"Dratini, Extreme Speed!" A young boy shouted out. A Dratini blitzed forward, striking at the Charizard from multiple directions, causing it to stagger. As the Charizard recovered, the Dratini returned to its owner's side when he revealed himself. He was a blue haired boy about Mailys' age. A tall caped man stood behind the boy with his arms crossed. "Fair maidens! I have arrived to save you! Thunder Wave!"

"Tini!" His Dratini cried, evading the Charizard's Fire Blast. It countered with a jolt of electricity, causing the Charizard to stiffen up. The Dratini rocketed towards the Charizard once again, striking at it from all directions with swift motions. The Charizard bellowed loudly, slashing wildly with its claws, kicking up dirt. The Charizard soon slowed down, panting heavily.

"Now!" The boy announced, revealing an Ultra Ball. "Fly!" He shouted, hurling a spinning curve ball at the Charizard, striking it on the cheek. The Charizard was enveloped in a blinding red light as it was dragged into the ball. The ball fell to the ground, before making a gentle click noise.

"Good work." The man behind the boy congratulated, clapping rigidly.

"Piece of cake!" The boy celebrated, retrieving the ball and giving it to the man. The boy then jogged over to Airi and Mailys, holding out his hand to Airi. "Fair maiden, I have protected you. If I may assist you further?"

"Why thank you for recognizing my stature as a maiden." Airi sneered at Mailys, taking the boy's hand.

"Maiden. Yeah let's go with that." Mailys snickered, rolling her eyes as she stood up herself.

"It's my duty as a gentleman." The boy grinned, ignoring Mailys. "I am Draco Fang. May I ask what your name is?"

"I am Airi Tailor, the cutest girl in Spes." Airi bragged, taking her usual pose. "And this peasant is Mailys Whatever."

"LeBlanc." Mailys corrected.

"It's a pleasure Ms. Tailor and Ms. Whatever." Draco flattered, stepping. "I must go, but before I do, is there anything you wish to know?"

"Where's the gym?" Airi inquired.

"A-a-a-a…" Draco stuttered, jumping back. His eyes were filled with excitement. "A trainer! A challenger! Father! This is the one!" He celebrated, running over to the man. "I want her!"

"Settle down." The man groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Your bride must be a member of the Fang clan."

"But none of them are perfect!" He argued. "The fair maidens aren't tough! And the tough ones aren't maidens! But her! She challenged the Charizard!"

"She then got knocked on her behind and collapsed." Mailys reminded.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Airi argued. "Have you ever taken a projectile Ralts to the face? No? Then be quiet!"

"Enough." The man commanded. "We'll show her to the gym. Then we're going home, understood?"

"Yes… sir…" Draco sulked.

"Good." The man let out a sigh of relief. He turned to leave, Draco following close behind. "Come on. We'll show you the way, Ms. Tailor and Ms. LeBlack."

"LeBlanc!" Mailys snapped, chasing after the man. "It's not that hard!"

Behind a tree in the forest that lined the mountain, a woman in a lab coat observed them from the shadows. Her sharp eyes followed them closely as she retrieved a communication device from her pocket and brought it up to her mouth.

"Experiment F-006 was a failure." She calmly informed. "Returning to the lab."

 **…...**

Airi and Maily followed Draco and his father, eventually stopping in front of the town's gym. Two totems stood on each end of the entrance, illuminating the surroundings.

"We're here!" Draco proclaimed. Airi ran inside without hesitation, dragging Mailys behind her. Draco hastily turned to his father in excitement. "May we witness Airi in all her majesty, father?"

"You need to stop talking like that." Draco's father bemoaned. "Talk normally."

"If we get to watch her battle, then I will." Draco negotiated, a sly grin on his face.

"Fine." Draco's father accepted.

"Sweet!" Draco laughed, his tone shifting. "Let's go!"

Inside, Airi marched forward, pointing out her finger at the woman organizing items inside. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"Another idiot?" The woman sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was a serious looking woman with long auburn hair and sharp hazel eyes. She dressed in a red vest over a white long sleeve shirt and black pants. "Can't you tell I'm busy?"

"An active Gym Leader should always accept a challenge!" Airi persisted. She paused for a moment, before stomping her foot on the ground. "Wait! I'm not an idiot!"

"Could've fooled me." Mailys jabbed, prompting Airi to stick her tongue out at her. She chuckled, before turning to the Gym Leader. "Why are you busy?"

"Hey! I was gonna ask that!" Airi puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

"If you mouth breathers must know, I am preparing to meet with one of my suitors." She explained, finishing up her organizing. "And before you ask, because I know you will, I was merely here organizing my things before I left."

"That explains why you were in here…" Mailys nodded, contemplating the convenience.

"I thought Gym Leaders lived in their gym or something…" Airi confessed, fiddling with her bangs.

"Yes. I sleep under the bleachers." The woman rolled her eyes. "Stupid child."

Airi glared at the woman as she passed by, muttering something beneath her breath. After the Gym Leader left, Airi let out a howling scream, barely muffling it with her shirt. "What a total… Ugh!" She growled, stomping her foot on the ground. "I'm gonna wipe that smug look off her stupid face!"

"Do you… hear what you say half the time?" Mailys gawked, surprised by Airi's outburst. Airi let out a small annoyed laugh, mocking her.

"Boo!" Draco groaned, walking up to the duo. "That was a let down. She was a complete..."

"Draco." Draco's father interrupted, as if knowing his next word.

"...Jerk." Draco finished, giving a long sigh. "I was gonna say jerk."

"Sure you were." His father dismissed, shaking his head. "Either way, we're going home."

"Wait!" Draco panicked, flailing his hands in front of his face. He glanced around, before smiling nervously. "What if I travel with them!"

"Huh?" Airi and Mailys gasped in unison.

"...I get the feeling I've already lost this argument." Draco's father groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Whatever. Have fun."

"Yes!" Draco celebrated, jumping up and down. Draco father chuckled slightly, turning to the duo.

"That fine by you?"

"...Sure?" Airi allowed, puzzled.

"But… why?" Mailys asked in confusion.

"Because I know my son is as stubborn as his mother." Draco's father elaborated, a nostalgic smile creeping onto his face. "By the way, is there anywhere you would like to go? I can fly you there if you so please."

"That's amazing!" Mailys beamed. "We were planning to go to Gold Shore Marina next, actually!"

"It's a lovely place." Draco's father informed, smiling gently. "I'm guessing that you want to face Ms. Auburn, the rather… self absorbed woman we met, before we leave."

"That's the plan." Airi sneered, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Hey, you know anywhere I can get a Water Type? Preferably Fairy Type as well?"

"There's a stream further up the mountain chain. Would you like to go there?" He offered.

"Of course." Airi accepted, smiling eagerly. "Let's go!"

"You guys can go on without me." Mailys notified, turning to leave the building. "I need to go visit someone."

"I'll go with you!" Draco asserted himself, pushing Mailys out of the gym. He shut the door as soon as they were out and let out a sigh. "Dang it..."

"Mind… explaining?" Mailys paused, shocked by Draco's decision.

"I… just want some time away from Dad." Draco confessed, leaning on the wall. "Sorry if I'm intruding."

"You can join me if you want to." Mailys allowed, gesturing for him to follow her. "Come on."

"Alright." Draco chuckled, pacing behind her. She led him through the town, looking around for the town's Kiyoko. She noticed a library, calmly walking over to enter.

"We're here." She announced, entering the building. Inside, rows and rows of bookshelves were lined up along the first floor. The second floor circled around the first with books lined along the walls. Mailys cupped her hands together and placed them in front of her mouth. "Yoko! I'm making a loud noise! Loud noises!"

"Why are you yelling?" Draco inquired, caught off guard. Mailys twisted to face him, still shouting.

"Because I'm looking for-" A meter stick came down on her head, cutting her off. An elderly woman revealed herself, holding the measuring tool.

"No yelling in my library." She commanded. She wore clean grey and red robes and a pair of scholarly glasses. "Why are you here?"

"Who… are you?" Draco inquired, his eyes wide in surprise.

"I'm Kiyoko." The elderly woman introduced herself. "Once again, why are you here, Mailys? Did Kiyo send you?"

"No, Yoko." Mailys sighed, rubbing the top of her head. "Kiyo-Chan sent me to check on the stones."

"Ah yes. Those." Kiyoko nodded in understanding. She gestured with her meter stick to a room in the back of the library. "I have some lava for you."

"Lava?" Draco gawked. Mailys followed Kiyoko into the room without answering, forcing him to follow. "What do you mean, lava?"

"I mean I put lava in a jar." She answered, opening the door to a storage room. She walked in, pulling out a glass jar with molten lava inside.

"How!?" Draco shouted, baffled by the jar. "Why!?"

"No yelling." Kiyoko ordered, hitting him on the head with her meter stick. "Because I'm old. I don't like hiking up the volcano every time I need to check on it."

"Don't question her." Mailfys sighed, holding her hand to her forehead. "Whatever logic powers her schemes are beyond us…"

"Anyway." Kiyoko interrupted, continuing to speak. "As you can see, nothing is wrong with Mt. Rebirth. No stone has formed from within."

"That's good." Mailys smiled in relief. "Thank you, Yoko. I'll be going now."

"You're wasting your time, Mailys." Kiyoko stated, placing the jar back in the storage room. "You should just return home. Kiyo is obviously trying to keep you out of the house again."

"Maybe." Mailys chuckled, depressingly. "But I need to do this sooner or later." She determined, turning to leave. "Goodbye, Yoko."

"Farewell." Kiyoko waved, making her way to a desk. She sat down behind it and began to read a hefty looking book. Mailys and Draco took their leave, exiting the library.

"Do you think-" Mailys attempted to speak, before running into someone, falling onto the ground. Mailys rubbed her bottom, looking at the woman she ran into.

"Well if it isn't the little girl from before." The red haired woman sighed. "If you'll excuse me."

"Hold it right there!" Airi shouted from the distance. The three of them all turned to face the pink haired girl bolting down the road. She came to a halt with a hop, kicking up dirt with her landing. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"You know what…" Auburn groaned, exhausted. "Why not?"

"Wynaut!" Mailys joked, earning glares of various emotions from everyone. "Sorry. Force of habit."

"Ignoring that. Let's make our way to my gym." Auburn directed, leading the group to her gym.

"Alright!" Airi celebrated punching her fist in the air.

 **…...**

Back at the gym, Auburn and Airi sat on opposite sides of the battlefield. The field was a dirt and stone field, littered in jagged rocks with a noticeably large one on Auburn's side. Steam slowly seeped up from small crevices, only to be cleared up by the ventilation system.

"I'll be using three Pokemon." Auburn informed, sending out a Torkoal. "I take it you're fine with that?"

"Of course!" Airi nodded, posing with a new Pokeball in hand. "Azurill!" She announced, tossing out a blue, ball like Pokemon. It bounced around on its ball, confused by its location. "Bubble Beam! Let's do it!"

"Flame Wheel." Auburn countered. Torkoal barreled towards Azurill, coating its body in flames. Azurill hastily bounced out of the way, spraying Torkoal with a stream of bubbles.

"How's that!?" Airi taunted, an arrogant smirk on her face. "Bubble Beam!"

"Try Ember." Auburn tested. Torkoal belched out a volley of small flames as Azurill spat out a beam of bubbles. The attacks collided, with the bubbles overpowering the flames. Torkoal fell back when it was pelted with the bubbles. It slumped over, defeated. "A shame. Slugma!"

"Oh no! Another Fire Type!" Airi sarcastically berated. "Bubble Beam!"

"Smog." Auburn sighed, unfazed by Airi's taunts. Slugma breathed out a fog of poisonous air, causing Azurill to gag. Azurill toughed through the poison, firing another beam of bubbles. Slugma evaded the attack by hiding behind a noticeably large rock. "Rock Throw."

"Don't miss this time!" Airi demanded. Azurill stood perfectly still, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Slugma hopped into the open, tearing up the ground to launch rocks at Azurill. As it did so, Azurill blasted it with bubbles. Both Slugma and Azurill took the attacks, resulting in both being defeated. "No!"

"What's the matter? No other advantages to abuse?" Auburn snickered, deducing Airi's weakness. She tossed out her final Pokemon, a Darumaka.

"Go Ralts!" Airi sent out her starter. She quickly took her usual pose. "We have no chance of losing, Ralts! Show her our power!"

Ralts glanced to Airi in confusion, unaware of what to do.

"Confusion!" Airi directed. "Give it all your strength!"

"Fire Punch!" Auburn ordered. Darumaka rushed Ralts, sending her flying with a flaming punch. Ralts rolled upside down, onto her back, sending an orb of psychic energy at Darumaka. Despite not aiming, the attack struck Darumaka, staggering it. "Finish it off! Headbutt!"

"Ralts get up!" Airi demanded. Ralts attempted to roll onto her stomach, only to get launched back by a powerful blow from Darumaka. "No! Confusion!"

"Incinerate!" Auburn commanded. Darumaka fired a large fireball at Ralts. Ralts flinched as the attack hit her, causing a small explosion. The field was covered by a dirt cloud.

"Ralts!" Airi panicked, looking into the cloud. It slowly cleared, revealing a small barrier. Inside, Ralts cowered with her arms tucked in. "Protect...?" Airi questioned. She turned her head, noticing that the dust hadn't fully cleared on Auburn's side. "Confusion now!"

"What?!" Auburn gasped, caught off guard. Ralt's began to glow a bright white. Her body grew taller, gaining a tutu like dress, and long green hair that resembled pig tails. Her horns changed place, becoming symmetrical on both sides of her head. "Fire Punch!"

Darumaka leapt forward, ramming a flaming fist into the barrier that protected the newly evolved Kirlia. Kirlia swung her hands out, using the barrier to surround Darumaka, suspending it in the air, before launching it away. Darumaka slammed into the large rock on the field, shattering it. Darumaka groaned in pain and defeat.

"We win!" Airi shrieked at the top of her lungs, completely ecstatic. She ran over to Kirlia, lifting her in her arms. "You're amazing!"

Kirlia smiled in pure joy of Airi's praise. The two held each other tightly, celebrating their victory.

"Congratulations." Auburn congratulated, retrieving her Darumaka. She reached into a case on a shelf, retrieving a small badge and bringing to Airi. It was shaped like volcano emitting steam. "I present to you, the Steam Badge."

"Thank you very much!" Airi sneered, swiping the badge from her hand. She winked at Auburn arrogantly. "Maybe you shouldn't underestimate people! Especially me!"

"This is beneath me…" Auburn sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm doing this because… whatever…" She cut herself off, before gesturing to the door. "You can leave now."

"I will!" Airi grit her teeth, forcing herself to smile. She turned to leave, making an annoyed expression as she returned to the others.

"Yo! That was awesome!" Draco praised, placing his hands behind his head. "I got serious Aika vibes from you!"

"Well I am going to defeat her!" Airi boasted, holding herself up high. "But, Aika is amazing! I modeled my appearance after her after all!"

"That explains it…" Mailys sighed, understanding Airi's flair. "I'm guessing you dyed your hair that… blinding shade of pink?"

"Nope!" Airi giggled, straightening her hair with her hands. "It's my natural gift! I got it from my mother!"

"Well, that's disappointing." Mailys groaned jokingly. "I was hoping I could find something to lord over you."

"Well, jokes on you!" Airi continued to boast. "My family is the only one in Glamour to have this shade of pink!"

"It… can't be that rare." Draco's father mumbled, shaking his head. He let out a long sigh, stretching his neck. "Never mind. You want a ride to Gold Shore Marina, correct?"

"Correct!" Airi affirmed with a grin.

"I have business there as well, luckily enough." Mailys grinned, gently. "So, we're in agreement with our destination."

"Does it have to do with those 'stones?'" Draco inquired, tilting his head.

"Yes." Mailys confirmed, giving an honest smile. "Shall we go?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five- A Brief Relief**

The group rode on Mr. Fang's dragons, with Draco and Airi riding on a Flygon, while Mr. Fang and Mailys rode on a Dragonite. They passed over a massive desert, spotting a small town in the center of it.

"Is that Oasis?" Mailys inquired, pointing to the small town. The town was built around a sizable pool of water, with small homes and trees surrounding it. "Mind if we stop there?"

"Not at all." Mr. Fang allowed, slowing his Dragonite into a descent. Draco noticed their descent and began to do the same. Mailys hopped off of Dragonite and gazed into the water. The water was still, with only minor ripples moving along it, allowing her to see her reflection clearly.

"Why are here?" Airi questioned, visibly annoyed. "Weren't we going to Gold Shore Marina, Banana?"

"Oh!" Mailys gasped, her cheeks a bright red. "Sorry! I just… really liked the look of this place!"

"It's fine…" Airi forgave, waving her hand to the side. "A break is needed after all that flying! This place is quite lovely!"

"I rarely come here." Mr. Fang informed with a shrug. "We can all look around together if you want."

"That sounds nice." Draco agreed, chuckling with his hands behind his head. He looked around the vicinity, flicking his head towards a small bar. "That looks like somewhere we get some food."

"First stop then!" Airi decided, punching the air. She quickly jogged to the shack like bar, glancing around. The bar had a large canopy covered numerous tables for patrons to sit. A small TV displayed the national news on the top right of the bar.

"...began a domino effect leading to the arrests of numerous crime lords, including the infamous kingpin, Joseph Pennano." A anchorman reported. A picture of a muscular young man was shown on the screen.

Airi ran up to the bar, tapping on it to get the bartender's attention. "Do you serve smoothies?"

"Of course." The bartender nodded. The rest of the group approached the bar, taking their individual orders, before taking a seat under the canopy. The anchorman continued to report the news.

"...Pennano seemingly accepts his life sentence stating, 'It is the duty of the weak to feed the strong.'" He explained in a calm, monotone. "'Those who band together for their strength, rather than relying on their own are truly the weakest. I see my mistake now.'"

"Friends aren't a weakness, dirtbag." Draco scowled at the screen, drinking an Oran Berry smoothie. Mr. Fang smiled, as if impressed. The screen switched to show a group of police officers, with the police chief speaking up.

"We received intel leading us to an underground fighting ring." The man elaborated. The screen shifted to show numerous Pokemon in cages, all looking starved. The image lingered for a moment, before showing a young woman with short black hair. "We found Pennano with only a single bodyguard, a Ms. Ann Nova. Even then, my forces were chewed up, spit out, and tossed aside with ease. I'm surprised and impressed that we managed to arrest him."

"Dangerous world out there…" Mr. Fang mumbled to himself, gazing out to the desert dunes.

"In related news..." The anchorman changed topics. The image of another young man popped up on the screen. "The legendary Absol Thief was arrested, attempting to steal from the Amity Family's vault. The culprit was caught by none other than Aika Amity herself." He continued. "The Absol Thief was known for sending an Absol to locations he would soon attempt to steal from…"

"Boring." Airi groaned, ignoring the man as he droned on about the thief, before switching to other news. "I hoping for more cool Aika news. Not boring, 'Oh no! Criminals!'"

"You have interesting interests, Airi." Mailys chuckled. "But, I really shouldn't expect much else."

"Hmph." Airi puffed out her cheeks. "Are you going to come up with anything else to say, besides how simple minded you think I am?"

"I admire your confidence." Mailys complimented with a grin. "Happy?"

"Jerk." Airi groaned, turning back to her drink. As she nearly finished drinking, the anchorman caught her attention again.

"In other news, Aika Amity has announced a battle against a trainer next week." He announced, in his monotone voice. "I am absolutely ecstatic. It has been far too long since we've seen Aika battle. The battle will take place at the Battle Dome. Tickets will go on sale later today." He finished. "And now the weather…"

"Dad!" Draco twisted around, shouting at his father.

"Mr. Fang!" Airi shouted at the same time, also facing Mr. Fang.

"...I'll pull some strings." Mr. Fang sighed, accepting their request without hesitation. "It's in a week. I guess I'll travel with you until then."

"Ah!" Draco panicked, realizing his situation. He began weighing his options in each hand. He eventually slammed his fist on the table. "Fine!"

"I love you too, son." Mr. Fang sarcastically retorted. He rose up from his seat and started to walk away. "I'm going for a walk. I'll see if the Mandibuzz will grant me release from this torturous existence."

"I think I'll go explore too." Mailys added, leaving the group as well.

"Aika though!" Draco shifted to Airi, excited about the battle.

"Let's see if we can meet her!" Airi giggled. Her eyes widened as she remembered something, prompting her to send out Kirlia. She handed her what was left of her smoothie. "I forgot to reward you! Sorry!"

Kirlia beamed brightly as she began to drink the smoothie. Draco and Airi continued their conversation until Mr. Fang and Mailys returned. After finishing their break, the group took to the skies again, returning to their journey.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six- Here There Be Monsters**

The group flew over Gold Shore Marina, noticing the numerous ships docked in the port as they began to land. The area was bustling with life. Numerous shops were set up around the town, selling a wide variety of goods.

"So, where's the gym?" Airi inquired, glancing around.

"It's at the docks." An elderly woman answered. The group turned to face the familiar face. "Hello, Mailys."

"Hello, Kiki." Mailys greeted, holding her hand up to the woman. "How's the stone?"

"Hasn't formed yet." The woman answered. She looked identical to the elderly women that Airi had seen in Arachnid and Flora. However, she her robes had a blue trim and her right eye was covered by an eyepatch.

"Wait, aren't you the old lady from Arachnid?" Airi asked, recalling the woman. "And Flora now that I think about it?"

"She was in Amber as well." Draco added.

"You're forgetting New Fang." Mr. Fang sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is one of the Kiyoko sisters. They live in towns with gyms."

"Yep." Kiyoko affirmed. "All eight of 'em. It's our job to watch 'em."

"What happens if another gym is added to the league?" Draco pondered, tilting his head.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Kiyoko chuckled, a mischievous grin on her face. Draco and Airi both twisted to face Mailys.

"I have no clue." She shrugged. "My theory is that they're all clones."

"No no." Kiyoko dismissed, waving her hand. "We're all buds."

"Like, plant buds?" Draco questioned, an even more confused expression on his face.

"Don't believe anything she says unless proven otherwise." Mailys dismissed, also waving her hand. "Can you take my friend here to the gym?"

"Closed, I'm afraid." Kiyoko informed, pointing to the ocean. "Wake and his boy are busy dealing with some sea monster. I proposed we charge people to go see it, but no. That's too dangerous apparently."

"A sea monster?" Airi snidely remarked. "Oh and next we'll learn about the teachings of Dome. Or maybe we'll even see Werehound!"

"You don't believe me?" Kiyoko chuckled. "How about you go out there yourself? See if you believe me then."

"Fine!" Airi accepted, running off. Kiyoko laughed as she watched her run off. Mailys glanced around, a bewildered expression scrawled on her face, before quickly chasing after her.

"This… this is interesting!" Draco sneered, running after his companions. Mr. Fang shrugged as he followed his son.

 **…...**

"Airi don't do something stupid! This doesn't involve us!" Mailys pleaded, holding Airi by the arm as she forced her way into docks. Numerous ships were docked from small to large, with their crews loitering about. A large group of sailors were gathered outside a warehouse. Airi swiftly forced her way into the building, shoving full sized adults away.

"She's strong…!" Mailys gawked as she maneuvered her way in between the sailors, managing to get inside. Inside, an old sailor dressed like a pirate with a white beard spoke to a young man.

"Hey, fatty!" Airi insulted, pointing to the older man. Draco appeared behind Mailys without a sound, surprising her. "We need a ship!"

"...You're a rude one, ain't ya?" The old sailor remarked, stroking his massive beard. He held a pipe with his right hand, smoking from it. "I don't just hand out ships to anyone, let alone when there's some Pokemon stirring up trouble in the waters."

"See!" Mailys nodded, gesturing to the man. Her tone was noticeably high pitched. "It's not-"

"Don't get her started…" Draco chuckled, an amused grin on his face. He leaned back, arms crossed, watching the scene closely.

"What? A few middle aged sailors can't deal with it?" Airi questioned aloud, her voice growing even more vicious. "Must we do everything!?"

"P-pardon!?" Mailys jumped back, shaking as she made a loud gulp. "You aren't suggesting-"

"Whoa! Whoa!" The younger sailor interrupted. He held his hands out as he approached the trio. He had short royal blue hair, dull maroon eyes, and a white sailor outfit. "We can't just let-"

"Oh and you were going to deal with it!?" Airi sassed with a caustic tone. Her expression grew even more annoyed. "I'll take care of whatever it is!"

"Really?" The old sailor chuckled, putting his pipe down. He gestured from the younger man to Airi. "Indigo, battle her."

"I-I…" The young man panicked, caught completely off guard.

"Oh…?" Draco sneered, snickering to himself. "This'll be hilarious!"

"Ohoho!?" Airi let out a haughty laugh, taking her usual pose. She followed it up by sending out Kirlia, causing Mailys to sigh. "Do you know who I am!? I'm Airi Tailor!" Airi repeated, pointing to her chest with her thumb. "I'm going to be the next Champion! Me and Kirlia!"

"Okay…?" The young man bemoaned, a puzzled expression on his face. He sent out a Carvanha as commanded. "Fairy vs. Dark? Great…"

"Stop it." Mr. Fang interrupted, forcing himself through the entrance. Dragonite slammed its fist into the wall, breaking it open. Outside, numerous sailors were unconscious alongside their Pokemon. "Wake! I just had to fight every single member of your crew!"

"Oh yeah, I put a bounty on ya." The old sailor chuckled, picking up his pipe and smoking from it. "I want that shiny cape."

"I'm the one who beat you at cards!" Mr. Fang snapped, pointing at the old sailor. Mailys, Draco, Airi and the young man all stepped to the side, watching the argument. "If anything, you owe me that fancy hat!"

"I never bet Ol' Watcher!" The sailor argued, slamming his pipe on a table. "You owe me twenty pounds of Dragon Scales from when we bet on that game!"

"Oh really?" Mr. Fang shouted, tossing his hands into the air. "Who bet the deed to a map to an abandoned ship again? Why did I even take that silly bet!?"

"That's on you! I was so hammered that I couldn't even tell if it was a deed, a map, or something I scrawled on my bar tab!" The sailor retorted, pointing at Mr. Fang. "How about you give me the magical amulet you promised!?"

"Huh…" Draco tilted his head, observing the argument. "I was not ready for this."

"Neither was I…" The young man mumbled with his arms crossed. He took the opportunity to face the trio. "I'm Indigo, by the way. Indigo Wake."

"Nice… to meet you." Mailys hesitantly greeted, glancing back to the argument.

"Okay!" Mr. Fang grimaced, rubbing his forehead. "Why… are we here?"

"I couldn't answer that one for ya." The old man looked through a window. "Are we here just to suffer? I can-"

"No." Mr. Fang interrupted, scratching his head. "The stupid thing in the water. Can I just blow it up already?"

"Sure. I'll get a boat ready." The sailor allowed, retrieving his pipe. He slowly marched out of the building, leaving the rest of them behind.

"I'm scared." Draco commented, completely deadpan. His father walked over to him and patted him on the back, leading him outside.

"...I think we follow them." Indigo coughed, gesturing for the girls to follow. He led them outside where the old man was preparing a large yacht. The group of sailors came to, hastily forming a group in front of the yacht.

"We're going alone!" The old man informed his crew, causing them to disperse. He turned to point at the kids and Indigo. "Yer joining us, got it?"

"Yes, sir." Indigo saluted, turning back to Airi and Mailys. "If you couldn't tell… I'm his son."

"I don't see it." Mailys remarked, still shocked.

"I'm ninety percent sure I'll up like that myself." Indigo chuckled as he untied a rope connecting to the dock. "Come on."

 **…...**

The boat traversed the calm sea waves with utmost ease. They explored the open sea for several hours, passing by countless Wingull, Mantine, and a few Sharpedo. Indigo prepared food for the group as the sun had begun to set, before casting a fishing line out to sea. Mr. Fang tapped the side of the boat, before letting out a loud sigh.

"There's nothing here, Wake!" He growled, turning to face the sailor. Wake removed his hat to fix his hair, before placing it back on his head.

"I guess someone was just messing with us…" He groaned. Indigo celebrated as he pulled a golden Magikarp from the water, swiftly catching it. "Nice! That one'll fetch a high price!"

"You sell Magikarp?" Draco inquired, leaning against the boat's wall.

"Some weirdo likes to buy 'em from me. Probably a swindler." Wake elaborated, taking a smoke of his pipe. He glanced out to the setting sun, nonchalantly checking a pocket watch. "We should head back."

Before someone could respond, a massive shadow passed underneath the boat. Everyone jumped to the sides of the boat, peering into the water. The sky was abruptly cloaked in thick clouds. Thunder clapped as a sudden downpour sent the sea into a frenzy. Waves battered against the boat, masking the shadow.

"Anyone got a bug zapper?" Draco joked. Without warning, the entire boat shook as it was tipped over, launching everyone into the water.

Massive waves crashed into Airi, dragging her underwater. She struggled in the water, slowly plunging deeper into the abyss. Her vision grew blurry as her lungs filled with water, causing her to pass out.

 **…...**

"Draco. Wake up." A pleasantly familiar voice spoke to Draco. He opened his eyes to find himself in his bed back in New Fang. Overhead, a kind, yet stern woman leaned over him. "Wake up, Draco. Your dad promised to catch a Pokemon for you, remember?"

Draco attempted to speak, to no avail.

"Draco, are still asleep?" The woman spoke again, shaking him. Her image began to grow blurry. "Wake up, Draco-"

"Wake up!" A booming voice bellowed as a someone planted a swift boot into his stomach. Draco coughed up water, snapping back to reality. He tried to move his limbs, finding that they were all tied up, with his hands behind his back. He glanced up to a horribly tattered looking man with yellow teeth. "You awake, yer royal highness?"

"Who… are you?" Draco interrogated, surveying the area. Several equally unsavory men and women surrounded him on what appeared to be a wooden boat. "Where's my father!? Where are my friends!?"

"Oh don't you worry yer pretty little face about that none." A woman sneered, showing off her metallic teeth.

"Hey! We fished up another one!" Another man shouted in the distance. Draco glanced over as they pulled Mailys up with a net, quickly tying her up.

"Mailys!" Draco called out, causing her to regain consciousness. Upon waking up, Mailys began to panic, squirming back and forth. The woman with the metal teeth ran up to her, planting her foot in her stomach. "Hey!"

"Oh stop yer squirming!" The woman demanded as Mailys coughed in pain. "The Cap'n don't like us hurting the merchandise!"

"Merchandise?" Draco questioned, glaring at the people around them.

"That's right!" The man who woke Draco up affirmed. "Lotsa things can fetch a nice price if you know who sell to! Jewelry, Pokemon, kids, adults. Anything can be sold."

"That's absurd!" Draco snapped. "You can't sell people!"

"Says who?" The man ignored, kicking Draco in the face. "Sorry. My foot slipped."

"Easy there." A man commanded from the side. Draco struggled to face a well dressed man in a red coat. He held a gold cane with a loose hilt at his side. He had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. "The 'Captain' values his merchandise over his crew. Remember that."

"Sorry Cap- Mr. Blythe." The man apologized, backing away from Draco. The woman dragged Mailys by the shirt, tossing her next to him.

"Sorry about this, kiddos." The man in red affably apologized, kneeling down to face the duo. "I wouldn't let someone hurt a kid in any other situation."

"I don't believe you." Mailys snarled. "You're a monster."

"Nah." The man sighed. "I'm serious. Heck, I even got a lady back home I'm thinking about settling down with."

"If any of that's true, then why are we here?" Draco interrogated.

"Well…" The man bit his lip, scratching his head. He looked back as loud, thumping footsteps shook the wood of the boat. "That's why…"

Draco and Mailys gasped as a gigantic shadow loomed over everyone. In front of the steering wheel, what appeared to be a Feraligatr dressed in a captain's hat and a tattered long coat stood.

"Hey there... kids." The Feraligatr hissed, his voice hoarse and deep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven- Better Feared Than Loved**

"What… are you?" Draco interrogated, his eyes wide with shock. The rotund Feraligatr trotted down the staircase, each step causing the wood to creak.

"Can't ya tell?" The Feraligatr chuckled, showing off his array of jagged teeth. "I'm the captain of this here vessel. The Dutchman if ya will." He informed, holding his arms out. "I'm the boss of these folk. Name's Captain Feral!"

"You're a Pokemon!" Mailys gasped, her expression the same as Draco's. "But… how can you talk!?"

"What's the matter? Pokemon can't be like ya humans?" Feral laughed, his grin growing wider. He looked down on them, stroking his massive jowls. "I _am_ pretty special though, I'll give ya that!"

"Should we throw these two in a cell like the others?" Mr. Blythe asked, taking a step back. The Feraligatr approached the duo, kneeling in front of them.

"Go ahead." He snickered, holding is claw to Draco's cheek. "And don't you try anything." He pulled his claw away swiftly, slicing open Draco's cheek. A small red stream trickled down his face. "Understood?"

Draco grimaced at the pirate as he was hoisted up. The group of men and women led him and Mailys down a hatch, taking them away.

"I'll go interrogate the man with the dragon." Blythe informed, bowing before his captain.

"My hearing's pretty sharp. Remember that." Feral threatened, pointing to a slit behind his eyes. "Don't ya try anything either, got it?"

"Sir." Blythe tipped his head, before heading down the hatch himself.

 **…...**

Fafnir awoke in a wooden cell. He lifted himself from the ground, looking around. The cell was made entirely from wood, save for the door, which was metal. He could only see a row of cells beside his and a staircase leading up. A window and a bed sat on one corner of the cell. Captain Wake sat on the bed while his son leaned against the wall. Fafnir rushed over to the window, attempting to pull on the bars.

"Tried that." Indigo informed in an annoyed tone. "We're lucky to even have our shirts."

"Great…" Fafnir grimaced, looking out to the sea. A massive shadow followed, hidden beneath the waves. He was able to make out its shape, realizing that it was a Wailord. "So the sea monster was a Wailord?"

"Honestly, kind of disappointed…" Captain Wake chuckled, a sullen expression scrawled on his face. The three of them shifted to the sound of footsteps. Draco and Mailys were escorted down to the cell.

"Draco. Mailys." Fafnir greeted, averting his gaze. "Sorry."

"It's no problem." Draco smiled as they were forced into the cell as well. Wake sat up as he noticed Draco's bleeding face.

"You alright there, son?" Wake inquired, checking his wounds.

"It's no big deal." Draco disregarded, rubbing his cheek. "Gonna take more than a cut to the face to stop me." He boasted. "But when I see that big scaled freak again, he's gonna wish he did worse!"

"Big… scaled freak?" Fafnir tilted his head, bewildered.

"The talking Feraligatr." Mailys spoke up as she sat next to Wake.

"There's a talking Feraligatr?" Fafnir gawked, curious at the kids' statement.

"Yeah." A man in a red coat spoke up after the rest of the men and women left. He carried a small wooden stool in his arms. "And I wouldn't challenge him, kid. Those jaws of his are quite strong."

"Who are you?" Fafnir interrogated. Another man with a skull bandana stood behind the man in the red coat, writing in a journal.

"I am Douglas Blythe." The man introduced. He turned to gesture to the man behind him, before taking a seat on the stool. "This is- Quit writing!"

"Sorry boss…" The man grimaced, handing the journal to his superior. "It helps calm my nerves…"

"What were you writing?" Fafnir interrupted, prompting the two to face him.

"A… a diary." The man confessed, his face a slight red. "Another crewmate told me to do that every day, back when I first joined. It sorta became a habit."

"It's sadly become a trend amongst my recruits." Blythe groaned, scribbling something in the journal. He held it up to Fafnir while still speaking. "Anyway, this is Fredricks."

 _Read this._

"Nice to meet you, Fredricks." Fafnir greeted, keeping his eyes on the page. Blythe turned it back around to continue writing.

"Here's your journal." Blythe deceived, while still writing in it. "I don't care what you do with it."

"Thank you, sir." Fredricks played along, leaning back to watch the entrance of the room. "Now I can finish my poem of the day!"

"What's it about?" Fafnir inquired, shifting his weight slightly. The rest of the group remained silent, watching conversation go back and forth.

"My… fear of Sharpedo." Fredricks admitted as Blythe held out the journal.

 _The lizard has good ears. Don't say anything stupid._

"You're afraid of Sharpedo?" Fafnir snickered as Blythe returned to writing. "An interesting fear."

"Yeah…" Fredricks sighed.

"If only a certain group of sailors didn't use them so often." Blythe growled, glaring at Captain Wake. "Then my greatest man wouldn't be shivering in the middle of a battle."

"Thanks for the information." Wake chortled loudly. "Can I have my pipe back?"

"No." Blythe refused.

 _My crew revolted once I was defeated by Feral. I want your help._

"You can see why they're scary, right boss?" Fredricks attempted to rationalize.

"No." Blythe repeated, turning to Fafnir. "What about you? What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Fafnir paused. Blythe held out the journal with no sign of pulling it back. "Depends on the situation. They can be pretty cute."

"Maybe…" Fredricks groaned, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. This was an interrogation wasn't it, boss?"

"Yeah. Get back to writing." Blythe commanded in a stern voice. Fredricks returned to watching the entrance as Blythe wrote more. "Anyway, why were you in the waters?"

"Seems pretty obvious." Fafnir shrugged, crossing his arms. He glanced out to the window for a brief moment. "That Wailord of yours had people pretty spooked."

"Not mine." Blythe informed. "'Captain' Feral has been using it to destroy cargo ships. It's… not a normal Wailord."

 _If you help me, I can let you go._

"I see." Fafnir nodded in affirmation. "What's so strange about it?"

"It's… stronger than most of its ilk that I've encountered." Blythe informed. "That thing defeated my entire crew before Feral decided to take a piece of my leg." He pointed to his leg, which was bandaged. "That's why I told your boy to watch out for that bite."

"Must've hurt." Fafnir commented. "Anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah." Blythe continued. "You're Fafnir Fang, aren't you?"

 _I have plan to take care of Feral._

"That's right." Fafnir confirmed. "What of it?"

"Your clan has a lot of treasure, doesn't it?" Blythe inquired. "I'm sure you and Feral could work out an... 'arrangement.'"

"When can we arrange a meeting?" Fafnir questioned.

"I'll get back to you on that." Blythe answered.

 _My old crew is mostly egged on by Mags, a woman with metal teeth, and Slugg, a man with rotten teeth._

"Any reason you decided to take two kids with you?" Blythe stalled for time.

"There was three." Fafnir corrected.

"Yeah, where's Airi?" Draco interrogated, visibly angry.

"Pink hair. Really loud." Mailys described.

"I couldn't tell you that." Blythe shrugged, before popping his neck. "She most likely drowned. I'm sorry."

 _Take out Mags and Slugg and the rest of the crew should fall in line. Then we'll overpower Feral._

"That's quite the claim." Fafnir growled. "Nothing's that simple."

"She's… very persistent." Mailys laughed nervously.

"You must have know this Airi very well." Blythe smirked, a confident grin on his face. "Once you spend enough time with someone, you know how they'll react."

"Eh… it was more like a few days." Draco smiled, laughing nervously as well. "Hopefully she's alright…"

"We'll have to see what happens." Fafnir stated, his tone cold and sharp.

"I guess we will." Blythe agreed, getting off of his stool. "How about we go and prepare the meeting?"

"As long as you don't try anything, pirate." Fafnir threatened.

"Don't worry, I won't." Blythe sneered wickedly, handing Fafnir a Pokeball as Fredricks unlocked the cell and placed a satchel inside. He tossed the journal back to Fredricks, before gesturing for Fafnir to follow him. "Now just follow me."

"Alright." Fafnir accepted, following Blythe.

 **…...**

Airi jumped to life, coughing up the water in her lungs. She picked herself up from the ground, surveying her surroundings. She was on a beach that lined a thick forest.

"Fi." A gently cry rang out from the sea behind her. Airi twisted around to face the speaker, a small blue Pokemon. It floated in the sea, revealing its round head and two antenna. "Fi." It spoke once again, before disappearing into the ocean.

"Thanks…?" Airi hesitantly waved goodbye, looking out to the water. She noticed a considerably large wooden boat on the horizon. She looked around her vicinity once again, before throwing her arms up. "Where the heck is everyone!?"

She puffed out her cheeks and began to wander along the shore. Numerous shells and twigs lined the beach, being constantly rotated out by the waves. She paused as the sand became rock, turning to look into the forest. A heavy mist covered it, making visibility near impossible. The stares of thousands of territorial Pokemon pierced through her, forcing her to look away. She looked back to the rocks, noticing an odd patch of green. She stepped onto a large rock in front of her, allowing her to see. The patch of green belonged to a green haired man in his twenties. He sat alone on the rocks, wistfully staring out to the sea.

"Aha!" Airi exclaimed, waving at the man. "Sir! Where are we?"

The man slowly turned to her, revealing his sharp red eyes. He cloaked himself in a long brown coat and a small, darker brown mantle. "Well, this is certainly unexpected." He expressed in a slight deadpan, slowly standing up. "How did you get here?"

"I think a Pokemon saved me." Airi answered, shouting over the sound of waves. "Where are we?"

"This is the Northern Island." The man informed, jumping to her with absolute ease. He was noticeably tall, most likely reaching slightly under six feet. "It's the one north of the mainland, as the name suggests."

"Never heard of it." Airi admitted, putting her hands on her hips. "Anyway to leave?"

"...Possibly." The man shifted his gaze out to the sea. He watched the wooden ship in the distance with mysterious intent. "Depends on what those people do."

"Those are…?" Airi pondered, waving her hand to get the man to answer.

"Pirates." He answered.

"P-pirates!?" Airi panicked, slipping off the rock. She closed her eyes and braced to hit the sand, but instead felt arms beneath her. She opened one eye to look at the stern expression of the man. Airi glanced back to where he was and to where he was now, realizing that he got behind her in a mere second. "You're… really fast!"

"I guess I am." The man sighed, placing her down. "It'll be night soon. There's a little… cottage to the east of here."

"It better not be cramped and icky." Airi growled, crossing her arms.

"Oh certainly not princess." The man scoffed as he began to walk through the forest. Airi hastily followed behind, diligently trying to keep up. "The bed is stuffed with rose petals."

"Oh, haha!" Airi scowled. As they walked through the hazy forest, Airi spoke up once again. "By the way, I know this is random, but what's your name?"

"...Valiance." The man informed, giving her a glance from the side. "And... you are?"

"Airi Tailor!" Airi boasted, taking her pose while walking. "The cutest girl in all of Spes!"

"Heh." Valiance chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. They eventually stopped in front of a small stone cottage with a wooden roof. There were four pillars around the cottage, each seemingly absorbing the mist to clear in the area. Valiance made his way to the front door, pushing it open, before stepping away. "I have things to do. Sleep here. Don't leave."

"Uh…" Airi paused, nervously taking a step back. Valiance let out a brief sigh, rubbing his eyes.

"This isn't a kidnapping." He elaborated, leaning on the wall. "The creatures here won't hesitate to hurt you."

"Creatures?" Airi inquired, tilting her head. "You mean Pokemon?"

"...Yes." Valiance sighed, shaking his head as he began to wander off. "They're not normal. Just stay in the cottage." He flinched as a small beeping noise came from his pocket, prompting him to pull out a small radio. "Mary. The mist is thick. You never warned me of this."

"Oh!" A young woman's voice came through the radio. "I… thought you knew, Valiance! What's going on?"

"...Found a girl." Valiance informed, watching Airi closely. "I'm letting her stay in my cottage."

"I see!" The woman spoke. "Well, don't scare her away, Mr. Scowler!"

"...Anyway." Valiance scowled, curling his lip in annoyance. "I haven't found Big Blue yet. How did you lose such Pokemon anyway?"

"Look! Not everyone can spot a giant, blue, bipedal lizard running away!" The woman snapped.

"I have to go." Valiance groaned, putting the radio away. He turned back to Airi. "I'm a detective of sorts. I hunt down lost Pokemon. My current target is a Feraligatr." He informed, waving once as he turned leave. "I have to get back to my search. Don't leave the cottage."

"...Okay?" Airi reluctantly accepted, watching Valiance as he slowly disappeared into the forest.

 **…...**

Fafnir sat at a small table in what appeared to be the captain's quarters. It was a relatively large room with a king sized bed, a massive cracked window to see out the back, two bookshelves, a long counter filled with miscellaneous baubles, and a small desk with a mirror. The curtains, bed sheets, and walls were all torn up by large claws. The window and floor beneath it were stained by a red substance. Blythe wandered over to a broken picture frame and placed it on the desk, revealing the image of a beautiful brown haired woman. He turned to lean on the wall by the door as loud, thumping footsteps approached from the entrance. Feral forced open the door, nearly ripping it off of its hinges, before letting out a roar.

"Hello there, Dragon Trainer." Feral hissed, beginning to circle around Fafnir. "I've been told that ya want to… negotiate, was it?

"Yes." Fafnir confirmed, watching Feral without flinching. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement for my acquaintances' safeties."

"Oh I'm sure." Feral chuckled, continuing to circle around the room. "Here's what I want. I want yer Pokemon, to eat of course, dragon's are apparently quite tasty. Second, I want yer money."

"...I can provide you with an adequate amount of money." Fafnir informed in a calm voice. "And I'm sure I can provide you with some form of food, not my personal Pokemon of course."

"That's no fun." Feral growled, showing off his massive teeth. Blythe stretched for a moment, stealing a glance out the door. "But, I'll allow that under one circumstance."

"And that would be?" Fafnir questioned, keeping eye contact with the massive lizard.

"Yer wife." Feral snickered, a large grin on his face. "A great man like you must have a pretty nice lady!"

"...I don't have a wife." Fafnir expressed in a slightly somber tone. "And that's all we'll speak of that topic."

"Oh don't be so reserved." Feral commanded, stopping at the desk with a mirror. He reached over to pick up the broken picture frame, running his claw by it. "Blythe's gonna give me this lovely lady in exchange for his life. Surely you'd do the same."

Blythe narrowed his eyes at Feral, his fists tightly clenched.

"I have no interest in speaking of… that topic." Fafnir asserted, tilting his head back and crossing his arms. "I will grant you what I can. I can't grant you something that I don't have."

"Ya just don't know how this works, do ya?" Feral slammed his hand on the desk, shattering the picture, glaring directly at Fafnir. "Ya give me what I want, and I don't kill ya!"

"Once again, I cannot give you something I don't have." Fafnir repeated.

"Cap'n!" A woman with metal teeth ran into the room. Her eyes were wide with panic and confusion. "There's a flare coming from the island!"

"Huh?" Feral gasped, turning to the woman. He stomped out of the room, shoving her out of the way. Blythe and Fafnir quickly marched outside, looking out to the island to the north. A bright red ball of light slowly faded from the night sky, causing Feral to let out an audible snarl, before turning to the crew. "To the island! Now!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight- Scarce Loyalty**

Airi rose up from the small bed in Valiance's cottage. She surveyed the surrounding area, looking for anything of note. The room was medium sized, with two doors that led to the bathroom and kitchen respectively. The exit was on the opposite side of the bed, with a small bookcase and a window next to it. She stood up from the bed and wandered over to the window, peering outside. She could no longer feel the stares she had felt from before. Airi let out a long sigh, resting her face on her hand as she looked into the night sky, counting the endless stars. She counted them for a whole minute, stopping as bright ball of red flew into the sky. It soon faded into the night, before a loud, earth shaking roar sounded in the distance.

"What…?" Airi gasped, carefully opening the front door. Another roar came from the distance, causing her to hide behind the door. _Was Mr. Valiance alright?_ Airi wondered, glancing around the area for his presence. She slowly stepped outside, staring towards the direction of the flare. She surveyed the area once more, before gritting her teeth and running towards the forest.

 **…...**

Blythe sat back, watching Feral closely as the ship beached on the island. Feral hastily hopped down, gesturing for the crew to follow him. Once a majority of the crew had exited, leaving about five members besides him, Blythe tossed out a Pokeball, releasing a Crawdaunt. Two of the remaining crewmates tossed out a Quagsire and a Pelipper, using them to throw the other three overboard.

"Deal with the Wailord!" Blythe commanded Fafnir, rushing to the nose of the ship. He stood over the crew, pointing at Feral. "I challenge you, Feral! I'm taking my ship back!"

Feral let out a toothy snarl as a smaller group of the crew broke off, sending out Pokemon of their own. He glared at the pirates who remained at his side. "Kill them all!"

"With pleasure!" The metal toothed woman sneered, sending out an Omastar. "You traitors are doomed!"

 **…...**

"Well, looks like it's now or never!" Fredricks shrugged as he opened up Draco and the others' cell. "Get out there!"

"Thank you!" Draco nodded, sending out Dratini and rushing up the staircase. He, Mailys, Wake, and Indigo all reached the top of the ship, stopping in front of his father. "Dad!"

"Well, this is certainly much more unexpected than expected…" His father sighed, glancing out to the sea. The entire ship rocked as the Wailord slammed its massive body against it, sending Indigo and Mailys overboard. Draco and his father glanced over nonchalantly, watching as the two emerged from the water. Mailys looked around with a visible snarl. "...And that's all you, son."

"...Good luck with the Wailord." Draco shrugged, as his father sent out and mounted his Dragonite. He placed Dratini onto his head, as his father took flight, and jumped off the ship into the water below. He landed beside Mailys, splashing her with water. "Sup?"

"Thanks for that…" She groaned, splashing water back at him, before slowly wading towards the shore.

"Man overboard!" Wake shouted from above, face planting into the water, splashing all three of them. He recovered after a brief moment and looked at the rest of the group. "You didn't see that."

"Let's just help the sort of good guys…" Indigo sighed, standing up from the water and walking through the shallow water. The rest of the group followed after, joining the battle. Indigo sent out a Marshtomp as a random pirate attacked them with a Cloyster. "Rock Slide!"

"Cloyster, use Icicle Spear!" The pirate retaliated. The Cloyster fired a volley of sharp icicles at Marshtomp, who swiftly evaded the attack. Marshtomp summoned a storm of boulders that struck the enemy. Cloyster was sent flying back into its trainer, rendering the duo unconscious.

"Next!" Indigo challenged, waving for another pirate to attack him. Draco noticed Feral fleeing into the forest as the metal and rotten toothed pirates halted Blythe's chase.

"I'm going after the big lizard!" Draco announced, using his smaller size to evade the pirates with Dratini still on his head.

"Draco wait up!" Mailys shouted as she chased after him. Wake attempted to follow, only to be cut off by two pirates. He tossed out a Kingler and began to battle his way through the pirates alongside his son.

 **…...**

Airi reached the source of the flare, looking around the area. The surroundings were completely normal, with no signs of any activity from anyone. She winced as a loud, deafening roar came from behind her. She twisted around to face a massive Feraligatr in a torn coat and a black tricorn.

"You!" The Pokemon spoke up, pointing its claw at her. "Did you do this!? Where are my boys!?"

"Y-you can talk!?" Airi gasped, falling on her bottom. She kicked up dirt as she tried to run away. "H-how!?"

"Answer me!" The Pokemon bellowed, causing the entire forest to tremble. His top jaw went up like a pair of pliers as he lunged for her. Before he could reach her, he was knocked away by a swift strike from a Dratini.

"Airi!" Draco and Mailys called out simultaneously, appearing behind the Feraligatr. Airi hastily took the opportunity to toss out Kirlia.

"Confusion!" Airi directed. Kirlia fired a blast of psychic energy at the Feraligatr, causing it to stagger. "Another one!"

"Extreme Speed!" Draco assisted. Dratini shot forward with blinding speed, striking at the Feraligatr from numerous directions. Kirlia quickly blasted the Feraligatr with more psychic energy, knocking it on its back.

"This is why I hate kids!" The Feraligatr wailed, clawing the ground as it stood back up.

"You two can do it!" Mailys cheered from behind Draco. "Water is weak to Grass!"

"Grass, huh?" Airi pondered as Dratini charged the Feraligatr once again. It let out another roar, grabbing Dratini before it could strike. "Magical Leaf!"

"What a great snack-" The Feraligatr attempted to speak, only to get struck by a storm of glowing leaves, causing it to drop Dratini. The storm blew away the tricorn it was wearing, carrying it to the shore in the distance. The Feraligatr looked at the group in rage. "That's it! I'm not playing around anymore!"

 **…...**

"Dragonite! Thunderbolt!" Fafnir ordered his Dragonite as he flew over the Wailord. Dragonite charged electricity in his antennae, before firing a bolt of electricity into the water, forcing Wailord to jump out. Fafnir observed it, noticing that it was much larger than a regular Wailord. Its exuded an oddly ferocious aura, sending a chill down Fafnir's spine. "Another one!"

The Wailord jumped from the water as Dragonite charged electricity, slamming its massive body against him, sending the duo further in the air. Dragonite quickly zapped the Wailord as it fell back down to the water, causing a massive splash of water to hit the boat. The Wailord retaliated with a blast of water from its blowhole, hitting Fafnir and Dragonite directly, knocking the two back again.

"This thing…" Fafnir growled, noticing that Dragonite was already panting. He noticed that Wake and Indigo were slowly routing the pirates who had remained loyal to Feral. "Looks like this thing really all we can help with, Dragonite…" He chuckled, wearily.

Dragonite let out a passionate roar, charging another bolt of electricity.

"Let's give it all we got!" Fafnir motivated, swinging his arm forward. Dragonite flew back as Wailord fired up another stream of water, narrowly evading the blast. Dragonite let loose another Thunderbolt, forcing the Wailord up once again. It launched itself towards the duo once more, its mouth wide open. "Take it out!"

Dragonite let out a roar once more, firing a blast of fire into the Wailord's mouth, forcing it closed. The Wailor coughed up smoke as it tilted into the air, facing its nose to the sea below. Dragonite dashed to the other side of the Wailord, revealing its vulnerable stomach. Dragonite covered himself in a blue flame and slammed into the Wailord's belly. Wailord's entire body undulated as the attack hurled it towards the beach. It landed on its back with a resounding thud, kicking up sand and dirt.

"I... didn't even plan that…" Fafnir gawked, petting Dragonite. "Good work. Let's get a move on, partner!"

 **…...**

Blythe faced down Mags and Slugg by himself, keeping at an even footing with the duo. He gestured to the side as his Crawdaunt managed to defeat them with ease as Fredricks and the Wakes defeated the remaining traitors.

"I'm outta here!" Mags panicked, trying to run away along the beach.

"Wait up!" Slugg retreated alongside her and the defeated crew. Without warning, the Wailord was launched from the ocean, landing in front of the retreating group. Blythe looked overhead as Fafnir Fang flew into the forest.

"Not bad." He complimented, walking up to his traitorous crew. They all held up their hands, with a few getting on their knees. "Now then. Anything to say?"

"We're sorry, Captain!" Slugg apologized, bowing his head. "It was Mags' idea to follow the lizard!"

"He promised us more money than we could imagine! Surely you understand!" Mags rationalized. "Please don't kill us!"

"Kill you?" Blythe scoffed, walking behind the two. "I'm not a fan of killing. That'd be a waste of resources, see?" Blythe informed, placing his arms around the two. "You're right about understanding, Mags! Instead of wasting resources, I'm gonna do what pirates do best! Be an opportunist!" He announced, holding his arms in the air. "A talking Feraligatr! Do you know how much an egghead and or a billionaire of questionable sanity and morals would pay for that? I say we repay Feral by selling him!"

"Yeah!" The entire crew celebrated, healing their Pokemon for the upcoming battle. Blythe noticed a familiar hat on the shore and made his way towards it.

"Welcome back my old friend." Blythe snickered as he picked up his captain's hat. He dusted it off and placed it firmly on his head.

 **…...**

Feral reeled back as Draco's Dratini struck him once again, before Airi's Kirlia followed it up with another Magical Leaf. Feral's nostrils steamed up and he opened his mouth, charging a blue orb inside. He bit down as he was struck by electricity, shattering the orb.

"It's over! I defeated your Wailord!" Draco's father announced as he landed beside them. His Dragonite was visibly drained, but clearly still capable of fighting.

"How!?" Feral snapped, backed into a corner.

"Lots of Thunderbolts." Draco's father joked, letting out a long sigh. Feral growled once more, kicking up dirt with his tail. The dirt hit the entire group, causing them to reel back in surprise.

"I'm not losing here!" He howled, barreling past the four of them back to the beach.

"After him!" Mailys commanded, chasing the Feraligatr with the rest of the group. They finally caught up at the beach, noticing that the pirates who turned against Blythe corned them and Feral.

"Ready the ship! We're leaving!" Feral demanded, pointing his claw at the leaders.

"I'm afraid that my crew doesn't work for you anymore." Blythe informed, stepping up from the crowd. The pirates all snickered to themselves as they prepared their Pokeballs. Blythe leaned back, laughing at Feral. "Look at him! Beaten by a couple of kids! How tough can he be!?" Blythe argued, pointing his hand towards Feral. "Ignoring the fact that he beat me! Y'know what..." Blythe scratched his forehead. "...Just get him."

"You…" Feral growled, turning to run down the beach away from the group. The pirates all sent out their Pokemon, from Crawdaunt to Barbaracle to Blastoise. The myriad of Pokemon all pelted Feral with their attacks as he attempted to escape, forcing him to jump around to evade. He knocked away a Tentacruel with his tail, launching it behind him at his pursuers. His enormous feet shook the ground and tore up the sand as he struggled to get away.

"Stone Edge!" Fredricks commanded a Barbaracle. It blasted a volley of jagged rocks at Feral, striking him directly in the back. Feral let out a pained howl as he landed face down in the sand. He instantly brushed off the attack and crawled away on all fours. He skittered towards a tree, ripping it from the ground and hurling it at the pirates. Blythe instinctively ducked below the tree, dodging it as it landed on three pirates behind him. The rest of the pirates quickly clambered over the obstacle with absolute ease.

"No!" Feral shrieked, forming a blue orb in his maw. He charged the orb, before twisting around to blast the ground behind him in a broad sweep. The bright blue beam froze the land before them, creating a massive wall of ice.

Blythe halted in front of the wall, looking both ways, before sprinting towards the ocean. He cut around the ice, preparing his Pokeball. "Damn!" He growled after glancing around, stomping on the sand. A few of the remaining pirates joined him, only to turn around in disappointment.

"He got away?" Fafnir inquired as he and the others caught up. Blythe shook his head as he kicked up more sand.

"'Fraid so." He answered, brushing off his hat. "He surely would've sold for a high price…" He groaned, turning to look at the defeated Wailord in the distance. "Then again, I'm sure we'll get quite the pay for that one."

"Have you seen anything like it before?" Fafnir pondered.

"I have." Blythe informed, nodding his head in affirmation. "We capture these… feral Pokemon and sell them to the eggheads at the League. They said its some kind of disease." He shrugged. "I don't care personally as long as I get paid."

"I'll have to look into that." Fafnir muttered to himself. He shook his head, before turning to face Wake. "So, now that we took care of your sea monster, what do you want to do?"

"I'm gonna take a long nap." Wake stretched, looking out to the sea. As if on cue, the sun began to reveal itself in the distance. "I hate staying up past my bedtime."

"Also Airi's back." Draco reminded, holding up his finger. Fafnir turned to face the young girl, letting out a gentle smile.

"Glad to see you safe, lass." He expressed. "So, mind telling me what happened to you?"

"I met a nice man." Airi giggled. "He let me stay in his cottage."

"Uh…" Mailys coughed. "Did he… do anything creepy?"

"...Surprisingly not." Airi chuckled with a shrug. "He was really… stern. Stern, but nice. Wonder where he went?" She pondered, tilting her head. "He said his name was Valiance."

"That's a weird name." Draco commented.

"I'll have look into that later as well…" Fafnir yawned, rubbing his eyes. Blythe stretched as he walked up to the group.

"I'll take you all home. It's the least I can do to repay you for your help." He offered, gesturing to his boat. He turned to face Wake and Indigo. "And don't worry 'Captain', we'll go back to being enemies tomorrow."

"...Sounds swell." Wake let out a weary smile. "Got anything strong on that boat of yours?"

"Lots!" Blythe laughed happily.

"Then let's get on home!" Wake let out a hearty laugh.

 **…...**

Feral emerged on another side of the island, stepping onto the large rocks that lined the cove. He climbed up the cliff, shambling onto the the grass as he searched around. He glanced back to the sea, noticing that the pirate ship had begun to leave. "Ya haven't seen the last of me… I'll be back! I'll have a whole army of my kind! We'll destroy all of ya!" He roared at the top of his lungs.

"...Pirates, really?" A terribly familiar voice insulted from behind him. Feral twisted to look at the forest, glaring at the red eyed, green haired man. He dressed himself in a long coat, with a single straight saber sheathed on his right side. "How far you've fallen, G1-W3, Feral. How very far indeed."

"G2-P5…" Feral snarled, glaring at the man. "Gallant. Are you the one who…?"

"Fired your friend's flare?" Gallant finished his sentence, tossing forward a blue stone. "That belonged to G1-W2, Blast." He informed, pulling out a flare gun. "However, I'm afraid he wasn't the one who fired off the flare."

"A… trap…" Feral snarled, feeling every last cell in his body tremble. His breathing began to grow harsher as he curled back his lips. He straightened his back to stand up tall, looking down on Gallant. "Yer a dead man."

Gallant remained perfectly still, watching Feral's every movement. Feral bellowed loudly, shaking the entire ground. He split his image into two, then four, then six, then eight.

"Which one's the real me!? One of my boys taught me this neat trick!" Feral boasted, every image of himself speaking as one. "Special Technique! Double-"

Feral was cut off as Gallant slashed down his chest in less than a nanosecond. With a sigh, Gallant backed away from Feral, sheathing his weapon.

"How… did… ya… know?" Feral coughed, toppling over. Gallant knelt over his body, holding a radio to his mouth.

"This is Gallant." Gallant announced, speaking to his intelligence operator, Maria. "Mission successful. The targets have been eliminated."

"Excellent work, Gallant! Remember to retrieve anything and everything of use!" Maria congratulated in a restrained, yet peppy tone. "I'll begin the report." She informed. "Should I mention the girl you found?"

Gallant gazed out to the boat in the distance, watching as it slowly disappeared into the horizon. "The girl? If only she listened to my order…"

"Gallant?" Maria questioned, her voice full of worry. "Are you alright?"

"...The girl left the cottage last night." Gallant alluded. "You can guess what happened."

"I-I'm sorry for your loss..." Maria sympathized. "I'll refrain from mentioning it in the report. Get some rest."

"Of course." Gallant sneered, putting away his communicator. "Airi. You were quite… adorable? Yes. Adorable. Cuter than that witch in every way." He chuckled, a warm smile forming on his lips as he stared out to the vast ocean. "Let's hope you don't do anything foolish."


End file.
